Bikes & Cars...

In a stunning example of spin, the first sentence of the California Air Resource Board's press release after Thursday's vote on the number of zero-emissions vehicles in the state reads: "The Air Resources Board today [March 27, 2008] voted to triple the amount of zero emissions vehicles that staff had proposed for automakers to produce from 2012 through 2014." It goes on to say that the board had proposed setting the level of ZEVs required to be sold in the state at 2,500, but it voted to increase that number to 7,500.

But until last week, the number had been 25,000. This means they reduced the number of ZEVs by 70%, not increased it three-fold.

The amendment that passed in late March also required an additional 66,000 plug-in hybrids to be on the road between 2012 to 2014. If automakers decide for some unlikely reason to go for the gold and produce the 25,000 ZEVs California originally demanded, then they don't have to meet this plug-in hybrid number. That's about as likely as GM's Bob Lutz joining Greenpeace.